'Detective Pikachu' Artist Shares Realistic Ninetails, Vaporeon Piece

Detective Pikachu is still a few months out from its release, but the film has already got fans buzzing. The project hit gold last year when its very first trailer wowed audiences. Now, Pokemon fans can get a new look at the film's realistic world, and they have the artist RJ Palmer to thank.

Recently, the artist took to social media to share their latest piece of realistic Pokemon art with fans. Palmer, who goes by Arvalis on Deviant Art, was hired by Legendary to work on Detective Pikachu because of their viral fan art. So, after being caught up with concept art for months, Palmer found time to bring Ninetails and Vaporeon to life on their own terms.

"I took a real long break from Realistic Pokemon, which some of you sure seemed to notice. I got a job on the upcoming Detective Pikachu film, which meant drawing Pokemon or Pokemon related things every day for 7 months. I honestly felt a little Pokemon burnout and it took me longer to get back into Pokemon stuff than I expected. I am back though, or as back as I can be with a full time concept art day job. I hope you guys dig this kick off to the next series of Realistic Pokemon," the artist wrote.

The piece, which can be seen here, shows Ninetails chilling outside with one relaxed Vaporeon. The foxy Pokemon is a large one, and its light coat looks gorgeous under the piece's sunset. With its tails moving about, Ninetails is a sight to behold, and its friend Vaporeon isn't any different. Though smaller, the teal-colored Pokemon somehow blends together the best of mermaids with the best of cats. Despite their differences, the pair seem to be good friends, and Palmer took a moment to explain why he felt the Pokemon would get along.

"Eevee and Vulpix are superficially very similar Pokemon despite not being especially closely related. Both Eevee and Vulpix are very common in the high end Pokemon Beauty Contest circuit as they are prized for their aesthetics. As a result they are often raised together in captivity and are often very comfortable around each other," the artist explained. "Pokemon friendships are be a strong bond that does not break despite when evolution to Vaporeon occurs. A Vaporeon raised in isolation or in the wild is very aggressive and dangerous to Ninetales. Under proper circumstances, their biology may have greatly diverged but their shared past can still bring them together for a peaceful interaction in spite of their type opposition."

What do you make of these realistic Pokemon? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Want to know more about the live-action outing? The official synopsis for Detective Pikachu reads as follows:

"The story begins when ace detective Harry Goodman goes mysteriously missing, prompting his 21-year-old son Tim to find out what happened. Aiding in the investigation is Harry's former Pokémon partner, Detective Pikachu: a hilariously wise-cracking, adorable super-sleuth who is a puzzlement even to himself. Finding that they are uniquely equipped to communicate with one another, Tim and Pikachu join forces on a thrilling adventure to unravel the tangled mystery. Chasing clues together through the neon-lit streets of Ryme City—a sprawling, modern metropolis where humans and Pokémon live side by side in a hyper-realistic live-action world—they encounter a diverse cast of Pokémon characters and uncover a shocking plot that could destroy this peaceful co-existence and threaten the whole Pokémon universe."